Charcoal formed from coffee and methods therefor

ABSTRACT

In one embodiment, a method for forming charcoal from coffee grounds is provided, which includes pyrolyzing coffee grounds to form pyrolyzed coffee grounds. The pyrolyzed coffee grounds are mixed with a binding agent to form a mixture. The mixture is pressed into a charcoal cube. In another embodiment charcoal formed from coffee grounds is provided including pyrolyzed coffee grounds and a binding agent. The pyrolyzed coffee grounds are mixed with the binding agent and pressed into a charcoal cube.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 61/776172, filed Mar. 11, 2013 and having the title“CHARCOAL FORMED FROM COFFEE GROUNDS AND METHODS THEREFOR,” which isherein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSED EMBODIMENTS

Coffee grounds left over from brewing coffee are generally thrown out asthey cannot be used again. Coffee houses in particular may go through alarge amount coffee grounds in one day. When these grounds are thrownout, they take up space in garbage bags and ultimately in a landfill. Intoday's society, there is a desire to reduce waste that is left inlandfills and to recycle or reuse as much waste as possible.

Accordingly, there is a need to recycle used coffee grounds in a mannerthat prevents them from being thrown in a landfill.

SUMMARY OF THE CONCEPTS DISCLOSED

In one embodiment, a method for forming charcoal from coffee grounds isprovided, wherein the method includes pyrolyzing the coffee grounds. Thecoffee grounds may be pyrolyzed in a steel pipe at approximately 1200degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 45 minutes. The method alsoincludes mixing the pyrolyzed coffee grounds with a binding agent and afibrous material. The binding agent may be oil treated with a surfactantbefore being mixed with the pyrolyzed coffee grounds and the fibrousmaterial. Additionally, the mixture may include 70 parts pyrolyzedcoffee grounds, 10 parts binding agent, and 1 part fibrous material. Themethod further includes pressing the mixture into a charcoal cube. Themixture may be pressed in a tube mold having a press plate on top and acap on the bottom.

In one embodiment, charcoal formed from coffee grounds is provided,wherein the charcoal includes pyrolyzed coffee grounds and a bindingagent. The pyrolyzed coffee grounds are mixed with the binding agent andpressed into a charcoal cube.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments described herein and other features, advantages anddisclosures contained herein, and the manner of attaining them, willbecome apparent and the present disclosure will be better understood byreference to the following description of various exemplary embodimentsof the present disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a method for forming charcoal from coffeegrounds according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an end of a pipe having used coffeegrounds therein according to at least one embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a charcoal bed for pyrolyzing the usedcoffee grounds according to at least one embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a press for forming charcoal cubes frompyrolyzed coffee grounds according to at least one embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a coffee ground slurry in the pressaccording to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5also illustrates an exploded view of the coffee ground slurry accordingto at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a charcoal bag filled with charcoalformed from pyrolyzed coffee grounds according to at least oneembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of a barbeque pit having acharcoal bag positioned therein according to at least one embodiment ofthe present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and advantages of this disclosure, and the manner ofattaining them, will be more apparent and better understood by referenceto the following descriptions of the disclosed methods and systems,taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The components inthe figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placedupon illustrating the principles of the disclosure. Moreover, in thefigures like referenced numerals designate corresponding partsthroughout the different views, but not all reference numerals are shownin each of the figures.

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of thepresent disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodimentsillustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used todescribe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitationof the scope of this disclosure is thereby intended.

Disclosed herein is charcoal formed from coffee grounds and methodstherefor. The method 100 for forming charcoal from used coffee groundsaccording to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure isillustrated in FIG. 1. In particular, at step 102, the used coffeegrounds are placed in a pipe to be pyrolyzed. It should be noted that inother embodiments the used coffee grounds may be pyrolyzed in anycontainer that reduces the amount of oxygen in the container, whileallowing gases from the pyrolyzation process to seep out of thecontainer. For example, the used coffee grounds may be pyrolyzed betweenflat sheets of heat conductive material that are clamped together or ina gas-fired rotating drum, to name two non-limiting examples. At step104, the pipe is positioned in proximity to a heat source to pyrolyzethe coffee grounds within the pipe. In one exemplary embodiment, thepipe is positioned on a bed of charcoal. At step 106, the pyrolyzedcoffee grounds are mixed with oil and shredded paper to form a slurry.At step 108, a portion of the slurry is positioned in a press and, atstep 110, the slurry is pressed into a charcoal cube. The specificdetails of the method 100 will become more apparent from the descriptionof FIGS. 2-7 below.

FIG. 2 illustrates a pipe 120 utilized to pyrolyze used coffee grounds122. In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the pipe 120is a 1″ by 18″ steel pipe having caps 124 screwable onto each end and ahollow interior capable of retaining the coffee grounds 122. It shouldbe noted that other sized pipes may be used for the pyrolyzationprocess. Additionally, the material of the pipe 120 is not limited tosteel, but may include other materials capable of conducting heat to thecontents of the pipe and withstanding temperatures of up toapproximately 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. The caps 124 are screwed onto theend of the pipe 120 to prevent the coffee grounds 122 within the pipe120 from escaping. However, the threads 126 joining the end caps 124 tothe pipe 120 do not form an air tight seal, thereby enabling gases 128within the pipe 120 to be emitted therefrom during the pyrolysisprocess. In other embodiments, the end caps 124 may be secured to thepipe 120 using suitable mechanisms other than screw threads 126,provided the seal between end caps 124 and pipe 120 is not air tight.Additionally, the pipe 120 may be constructed so that one end is closedand only the opposite end includes a screw cap 124 or other closingmechanism.

The interior of the pipe 120 is filled with coffee grounds 122. In atleast one embodiment of the present disclosure, approximately two ouncesof coffee grounds 122 are added to the interior of the pipe 120. In theembodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, used coffee grounds 122 are added tothe pipe; however, it should be appreciated that unused coffee groundsalso may he pyrolyzed. The coffee grounds 122 are loosely packed in thepipe 120. The pipe 120 is then closed by securing the end caps 124 in amanner that allows gas to escape, and the pipe 120 is placed in an oven130, as illustrated in FIG. 3. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3,ten pipes 120 are placed in the oven 130 at a time; however, anysuitable number of pipes 120 may be positioned in the oven 130. The oven130 illustrated in FIG. 3 includes a bed of charcoal 132 contained bycinderblocks 134, however other oven configurations are possible andwithin the scope of the present disclosure. The oven 130 is enclosedaround the pipes 120 but includes vents 136 to allow forced airflow,such as from a fan 138, to pass through the oven 130. In at least oneembodiment, the oven 130 is heated to approximately 1200 degreesFahrenheit. In other embodiments, the oven 130 may be heated to a rangeof 1000-1400 degrees Fahrenheit. In at least one embodiment of thepresent disclosure, pipes 120 are heated in the oven 130 forapproximately 30 minutes to an hour. In at least one embodiment of thepresent disclosure, pipes 120 are heated in the oven 130 forapproximately 45 minutes. It should be appreciated that the timerequired to pyrolyze the coffee grounds 122 in the pipes 120 may bedependent on the number of pipes 120 in the oven 130 and the temperatureof the oven 130. Alternatively, the coffee grounds 122 may be pyrolyzedin an electric oven, for example, when the coffee grounds 122 arepositioned between flat sheets of heat conductive material that areclamped together as described above.

After pyrolyzing the coffee grounds 122, the pipes 120 are removed fromthe oven 130 and quenched in water before removing the pyrolyzed coffeegrounds 140 (shown in FIG. 5) from each pipe 120. The pyrolyzed coffeegrounds 140 are mixed with a binding agent 142 (shown in FIG. 5) and afibrous material 144 (shown in FIG. 5) to form a charcoal slurry 146(shown in FIG. 5). In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure,the binding agent 142 may include used oil, for example, used cookingoil, used vegetable oil, used olive oil, or the like. In otherembodiments, unused oil may be added to the slurry 146. In yet otherembodiments, the binding agent 142 may include any food product capableof binding the pyroloyzed coffee grounds 140, for example corn syrup.The binding agent 142 may be treated with a surfactant before beingadded to the slurry 146. The fibrous material 144 may include shreddedpaper or any other suitable material that forms a lattice, for example,corn starch. FIG. 5 includes an exploded view of the slurry 146. In atleast one embodiment of the present disclosure, the slurry 146 containsapproximately 70 parts pyrolyzed coffee grounds 140, approximately 10parts binding agent 142, and approximately 1 part fibrous material 144.

The slurry 146 is then added to a tube mold 152 (shown in FIGS. 4 and 5)to form charcoal briquettes 160 (shown in FIG. 6). As illustrated inFIG. 4, the tube mold 152 is positioned in an arbor press 150 or anyother suitable press. The tube mold 152 may be a steel mold measuringapproximately 1 ⅛″ by 1 ⅛″ square. The press 150 includes a pressingplate 154 at the top and an end cap 156 on the bottom. In oneembodiment, the slurry may be positioned in a press that does notinclude an end cap 156 and a pressing plate 154. In particular, anypress may be used to form the charcoal briquette so long as both ends ofthe press can be removed. The size of the mold 152 may be altered toalter the size of the charcoal briquettes 160. Additionally, the mold152 may be formed from any suitable material. The mold 152 includesperforations 158 (shown in FIG. 5) to allow excess binding agent 142 tobe discharged from the slurry 146 during a pressing process. The slurry146 is pressed using approximately 5,000 psi of pressure. If too muchpressure is applied, the charcoal briquettes will not fully ignite, andif too little pressure is applied, the charcoal briquettes will fallapart. During the pressing process, at least some of the excess bindingagent 142 is discharged through the perforations 158 and the slurry 146is pressed into a charcoal briquette 160 having approximately half ofthe volume of the slurry 146 as originally positioned in the tube mold152. In one embodiment, the completed charcoal briquette 160 hasdimensions of approximately 1″×1″×1″. It should be noted that other sizebriquettes 160 may be formed by changing the dimensions of the tubepress 152 and/or the amount of slurry 146 added to the tube press 152;however, the size and shape of the briquette 160 are selected so thatthe briquette 160 fully ignites without burning up too quickly. Inparticular, if the briquette 160 is too large, the briquette 160 willnot fully ignite, and if the briquette 160 is too small, the briquette160 will burn too quickly.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the charcoal briquettes 160 are packaged in abag 162 for retail. In at least one embodiment of the presentdisclosure, approximately 55 briquettes 160 equaling approximately 5pounds are added to a 5 pound coffee hag 162. As will be appreciated,other sized bags 162 may be used and the number of briquettes 160 mayvary for other sized bags. The bag 162 may be unlined, lined with wax,lined with petroleum, or the like. The bag 162 may formed from anyflammable material that prevents the binding agent from soakingtherethrough. The top of the bag 162 is rolled down and an integratedwire 164 is bent to hold the bag 162 in a closed position. The bag 162may be printed, for example, silk screened with soy-based inks, todescribe the contents of the bag 162. The bags 162 of charcoalbriquettes 160 may be sold at coffee shops, online, or at any othersuitable location where charcoal or coffee is sold.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, the entire bag 162 may be utilized to start afire in a charcoal barbeque pit 170. Optionally, the briquettes 160 maybe removed from the bag 162 and stacked in the barbeque pit 170. Whenthe entire bag 162 is placed in the barbeque pit 170, the rolled end ofthe bag 162 is lit so that the bag 162 functions as kindling for thefire. After being left undisturbed for approximately 30 minutes, the bag162 will have ignited all of the briquettes 160. When the briquettes 160are ashed over, cooking may begin on the barbeque pit 170. Generally,the charcoal according to at least one embodiment of the presentdisclosure will burn at approximately 300-400 degrees Fahrenheit forapproximately two hours.

While this disclosure has been described as having a preferred design,the systems and methods according to the present disclosure can befurther modified within the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Thisapplication is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, oradaptations of the disclosure using its general principles. For example,the methods disclosed herein and in the appended claims represent onepossible sequence of performing the steps thereof. A practitioner maydetermine in a particular implementation that a plurality of steps ofone or more of the disclosed methods may be combinable, or that adifferent sequence of steps may be employed to accomplish the sameresults. Each such implementation falls within the scope of the presentdisclosure as disclosed herein and in the appended claims. Furthermore,this application is intended to cover such departures from the presentdisclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art towhich this disclosure pertains and which fall within the limits of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for forming charcoal from coffee groundscomprising: pyrolyzing coffee grounds to form pyrolyzed coffee grounds;mixing the pyrolyzed coffee grounds with a binding agent to form amixture; and pressing the mixture into a charcoal cube.
 2. The method ofclaim 1 further comprising mixing the pyrolyzed coffee grounds with abinding agent that includes oil.
 3. The method of claim 2 furthercomprising treating the oil with a surfactant before mixing the oil withthe pyrolyzed coffee grounds.
 4. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising mixing the pyrolyzed coffee grounds with a binding agent thatincludes a food product.
 5. The method of claim 1 further comprisingmixing approximately 70 parts pyrolyzed coffee grounds withapproximately 10 parts binding agent.
 6. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising mixing the pyrolyzed coffee grounds and the binding agentwith a fibrous material.
 7. The method of claim 6 further comprisingmixing approximately 70 parts pyrolyzed coffee grounds withapproximately 1 part fibrous material.
 8. The method of claim 6 furthercomprising mixing the pyrolyzed coffee grounds and the binding agentwith a fibrous material that includes at least one of corn starch orshredded paper.
 9. The method of claim 1 further comprising pyrolyzingthe coffee grounds at approximately 1200 degrees Fahrenheit forapproximately 45 minutes.
 10. The method of claim 1 further comprisingpressing the mixture in a tube mold.
 11. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising placing the charcoal cubes in a flammable bag.
 12. A methodfor forming charcoal from coffee grounds comprising: pyrolyzing coffeegrounds to form pyrolyzed coffee grounds; mixing the pyrolyzed coffeegrounds with a food product and a fibrous material to form a mixture;and pressing the mixture into a charcoal cube.
 13. The method of claim12 further comprising pyrolyzing the coffee grounds at approximately1200 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 45 minutes.
 14. Charcoalformed from coffee grounds comprising: pyrolyzed coffee grounds; and abinding agent, wherein the pyrolyzed coffee grounds are mixed with thebinding agent and pressed into a charcoal cube.
 15. The charcoal ofclaim 14, wherein the binding agent includes oil.
 16. The charcoal ofclaim 15, wherein the oil is treated with a surfactant before mixing theoil with the pyrolyzed coffee grounds.
 17. The charcoal of claim 14,wherein the binding agent includes a food product.
 18. The charcoal ofclaim 14 further comprising approximately 70 parts pyrolyzed coffeegrounds mixed with approximately 10 parts binding agent.
 19. Thecharcoal of claim 14 further comprising a fibrous material mixed withthe pyrolyzed coffee grounds and binding agent.
 20. The charcoal ofclaim 19, wherein the fibrous material includes at least one of cornstarch or shredded paper.
 21. The charcoal of claim 19 furthercomprising approximately 70 parts pyrolyzed coffee grounds mixed withapproximately 1 part fibrous material.
 22. The charcoal of claim 14,wherein the coffee grounds are pyrolyzed at approximately 1200 degreesFahrenheit for approximately 45 minutes.
 23. The charcoal of claim 14,wherein the charcoal cube is pressed in a tube mold.